OWATONNA, Minn. -- The Ripon College men's tennis team spent Saturday in Minnesota competing against Martin Luther College and Crown College, turning in a competitive effort across both matches despite a pair of 5-2 setbacks.

Match One

Ripon opened the day with a strong showing in doubles play, claiming two of three matches. At No. 1 doubles, senior Caleb Sippel (Appleton, Wis., Appleton North HS) and sophomore Kyle Flook (Sheboygan, Wis., Sheboygan South HS) controlled the court in a 6-2 victory. The No. 3 pairing of junior Corey Mooney (Greenfield, Wis., Greenfield HS) and sophomore Ethan Tines (Menasha, Wis., St. Mary Catholic HS) added another point with a 6-3 win to give the Red Hawks an early edge.

In singles action, Sippel continued his dominant performance at the top spot. He earned a straight-set victory at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-0, to secure Ripon's second team point of the match.

Mooney pushed his No. 2 singles match into competitive rallies but fell in straight sets. Flook and sophomore Ryan Richter (Plainfield, Ill., Plainfield Central HS) each battled into third sets at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, respectively. Flook dropped a tight three-set decision after winning the opening set, while Richter rebounded from a first-set loss to force a deciding third set before narrowly falling. Freshman Emerson Hendricks (Ripon, Wis., Ripon HS) and Tines rounded out the singles lineup but were unable to add to the team score as Martin Luther claimed the remaining points.

Match Two

In the afternoon matchup against Crown, Ripon was unable to secure a doubles point, as the host team swept all three positions.

The Red Hawks responded in singles play with two victories. Sippel once again delivered at No. 1 singles, earning a 6-3, 6-1 win. Mooney added a point at No. 3 singles, grinding out a 7-5, 6-3 victory to account for Ripon's second team point.

Richter, Flook, Tines and Hendricks competed hard across the remaining singles spots. Tines forced a third-set super tiebreak at No. 5 singles after splitting the first two sets but ultimately came up short in the decisive frame.

Ripon continues to gain valuable experience early in the season as the Red Hawks look to build momentum. The Red Hawks return home to compete on Saturday, Feb 21, against Concordia University Chicago and University of Wisconsin-Superier. The matches begin at 10am and 4pm, respectively.